Equivalence
by latias-likes-pizza
Summary: Two little children wanted to see their father again. In the hopes of achieving this goal, they committed the ultimate alchemical taboo. Now Lucina and Morgan will do anything to restore their bodies and return what was lost. Yet they have unwillingly stumbled into the dark side of Ylisse and its military. (based off one of the FMA!AUs from the chrobinprompts tumblr).
1. Prologue - Eyes

**Hey. So chrobinprompts on tumblr had some stuff floating around about a FMA!AU with Lucina and Morgan taking the place of Ed and Al. I thought it would be fun to write, so here we go.**

* * *

 **Prologue – Eyes**

It was like there were a million eyes glaring at her. She'd never been more terrified.

 _"LUCINA!"_

She didn't know where this place was, or why she was there. All she could remember was a darkened basement and a chalk circle. At the centre of the circle was the bowl with all the ingredients they had needed.

 _"Just… just stay calm! It'll be fine!"_

The ingredients needed to play God.

 _"LUCI! HELP ME!"_

It had all been going well. They knelt together at the edge of the circle. They placed their hands on the chalk and willed the transmutation to activate. Light danced across the circle, over the dish, casting crazed shadows on the walls. Something took shape. It was working.

 _"It's rebounding! Hold on! I'll fix it! I just need to… need to…"_

Then it wasn't. The blue transmutation light turned red and an eye opened up beneath the mixing bowl. Then beside her, her brother started to scream. Probably too late, she noticed that the transmutation had started to rebound. The shape forming distorted.

 _"I can't move! It hurts!"_

She moved to erase the edge of the circle, disrupt the transmutation. It didn't work. Something held her in place. Tiny little hands that seemed to sneak out of every shadow around her. They grasped tightly at her skin and clothes, stopping her from pulling away. Forcing her to complete the bastardized transmutation.

 _"MORGAN!"_

They tore her apart.

 _"AAAAAAAAAAGHH!"_

Then it was black. Then it was white. She was standing somewhere. Behind her was a door. In front of her was a figure that she could not begin to comprehend or describe. The figure spoke to her but she felt disconnected from the events around her. She had to go back to Morgan.

 ** _"I am you."_**

Swallowing her in, the doors opened and millions of shadowy hands dragged her away.

All the while, it felt like a million eyes were glaring at her.

* * *

Her eyes widened.

 _What have I done?_

This place where she stood had once been a place where she could not stand without being judged by millions of eyes. It was horrifying how something she had grown to hate was now something she sorely missed. Ironic.

 _This is all my fault_.

The sky was the colour of fire, an angry sun scorching the clouds. She looked up. If there was a god up there, they had forsaken not only her, but her people as well. She screamed.

 _I should have prevented this_.

Desperate to find somebody, she ran down the grand stairs. She ran into the centre of the city. Everything was still. Everything was silent. The thousands of hungry eyes that would normally fall upon her the second she entered this place were gone. It was unsettling.

 _How could I let this happen?_

"Hello."

She turned and her eyes widened.

* * *

He hadn't known what to expect when he entered the room. There was a sneaking suspicion in the back of his mind that they'd done the one thing they should have never done. Part of him was expecting to be confronted by that. He just didn't know what he'd see.

A corpse? A blob of chemicals that bound together? A real person?

What he'd seen was a near immeasurable amount of blood and a chalk circle that was surrounded by a scorched floor. He vaguely recognised what the symbols around the circle meant. In all honesty, it made him want to throw up.

How could he have let this happen? His own godchildren?

Somebody had evidently removed the product of their transmutation. He was glad. If he'd seen it, he'd probably have thrown up. There was only one person they could have been trying to bring back. It would have most likely killed him on the inside to see the failure.

Where were they?

He'd let them down. Dammit, he should have prevented them from doing this! Wasn't he supposed to be known as the 'Wary Colonel'? Why hadn't he been able to stop this? Somebody should have come and kept an eye on them. They should have stopped them from doing this. The higher ups would be immediately putting them through trial. He needed to protect them

Of course, the question remained of whether they were alive or not. He dragged his eyes away from that godforsaken chalk circle and to the basement door. He had to find them. That was his priority.

* * *

 **(Special thanks to feverish-demon for sending me ideas for this. I may not be using all of them but they still helped!)**


	2. Transmutation

**Have a chapter one, because I'm nice.**

* * *

 **Chapter one – Transmutation**

There was a house about a mile out from Southtown. In that house lived four people. A mother, a father, a little girl, and a little boy. They were the Falchion family: Robin, Chrom, Lucina, and Morgan, respectively.

Unlike a large number of families in the area, they hadn't lived there that long. Nonetheless, the people of Southtown made sure to make the family feel welcome. Robin and Chrom had moved there about two years before Lucina was born in 1890. Morgan came along two years later.

Both the parents did odd jobs around the town for income. Robin was an alchemist who would help fix things whenever she could. Chrom would do any work that was given to him. Rumours flew about the town that he'd been a soldier who left the army. Some said he was the son of Exalt Granz Falchion, a fact not helped by their shared surname. Chrom would always insist that they were merely cousins and that he had nothing to do with the Exalt.

As Lucina and Morgan grew older, they started to take after their mother in alchemical skill. Both of them were making small paper animals with alchemy by the age of six and four. They were good children, always smiling. When Lucina was nine and a rare bout of snow coated the town, she was able to transmute a snowman for her friends.

One day, when Lucina was six and Morgan had just turned four, their mother had set out travelling.

* * *

"I don't know how long I'll be gone. Are you sure you'll be fine without me?" Robin asked, standing in the doorway of their house.

"I can manage," Chrom replied.

"I don't know. Your cooking skills aren't exactly the greatest," Robin laughed.

"Hey! I've gotten better over the past few years! I won't poison the kids if that's what you're worried about," Chrom said.

"Daddy? Mommy?"

Chrom and Robin turned to see their children standing in the hallway. Lucina was holding a sleepy Morgan's hand, as if she'd been leading him somewhere. It was obvious they got their blue hair from their father, but Morgan's brown eyes were his mother's and Lucina's face was beginning to show the same shape. Chrom bent down and placed a hand on his daughter's head.

"What are you two doing up so early?" he asked.

"Morgan had to go to the toilet and he didn't wanna go alone," Lucina replied, yawning slightly.

"And of course his big sis was going to take care of him. Thanks Lucina," Chrom said, ruffling her hair.

"Chrom," Robin said softly.

Lucina looked up at her mother standing in the doorway. Through her sleepy eyes the most prominent detail of her mother was her white hair, glowing slightly in the morning light. Her eyes were looking away.

"Try and call us when you end up near a phone. Say hi to the others if you see them," Chrom said, hugging her. "We'll be here."

"I know," Robin replied. "I'll see you soon."

They stayed still for a moment before pulling apart. Robin picked up her suitcase and cast one more glance at her family before walking off.

"Daddy? Where's Mommy goin'?" Morgan asked.

"She's got to go away for a while, to fix something," Chrom replied.

He bent down once more and lifted his son in to his arms. With Lucina clinging to his leg, they watched as Robin retreated down the long path. Although he was smiling for his children, Lucina still thought his eyes looked sad.

"When she comin' back?" Morgan said.

"We're not sure. It may take a long time. But she'll come back, I'm sure," Chrom reassured him. "How about we get some breakfast? Maybe after you can show me the paper bugs you've been making."

As Morgan cheered at his father's suggestion, Lucina watched her mother continue walking. She stood at the door watching, until she could no longer see her mother.

* * *

Robin did not return to her family. She stayed away for the next few years. Chrom managed on his own with the children. He never ended up poisoning them with his cooking, something he'd proudly tell Robin on the rare occasions that she'd call them. Eventually as the gap between phone calls grew larger, Lucina would refuse to speak with her mother.

Everything was going well for the remaining Falchions until 1897, one year after Robin left. Chrom suddenly contracted a disease that had been going through the area. There was no known cure and you just had to pray that your immune system would be able to fight it off. Lucina and Morgan managed to avoid catching the disease, staying away from their father for two weeks until he was no longer contagious.

Unfortunately, his normally strong immune system had failed to fight it. There was no telling on how long it would take for the disease to kill him. Over the next year, his health slowly degenerated. It didn't help that he tried to keep moving and working through it. He didn't want to become anyone's burden.

Even when the phone call came and he was finally able to tell Robin what was happening to him, she still didn't come home. Now even Morgan didn't talk to her. Chrom was sick and it was like she didn't even care.

* * *

"I never did tell you the story behind my old sword," Chrom said.

He was sitting in his bed, with Lucina and Morgan perched on chairs beside him. A sword was hanging on the wall and he was looking up at it, as if he was using it to trigger his memories. A small smile graced his lips. In the past year he'd grown exceptionally thin. His skin sagged in some places and his bones were standing out somewhat.

"You said it was an heirloom," Lucina said.

"I guess," Chrom laughed. "It's been passed down our family for generations. It's even where we get our name. Falchion."

"Wait a second! We're named after a sword?" Morgan asked. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah. And do you wanna know who the most famous of our ancestors was?" Chrom replied. He got two eager 'who's. "Hero-King Marth."

The children gasped. The Hero-King was a famous historical figure from before Ylisse was formed. To be descended from him was something to proud of; he personally gathered a group of allies to save his country, leading them into battle.

"Falchion was wielded by him and a number of our ancestors. I've even used it a few times. Hopefully, you two will never need to use it," Chrom said. "My grandfather gave it to me."

"What about your father?" Lucina asked. "Why didn't he get it?"

"It's… it's a long story. I'll tell you another time," Chrom replied.

They sat in silence for a short while. Morgan rested his head on his father's legs while Chrom placed his arm around Lucina. Outside the window, the sun was starting to set, casting stuttering colours across the sky.

"One day, it will pass down to the two of you. Don't ever use it unless you have to. That's the first rule. Our family history is carried in that sword. Don't use it to take lives you don't have to," Chrom said suddenly.

Both children muttered a 'yes Dad'. Lucina bit her tongue slightly before she could say anything else.

The implication of Chrom's sentence was clear: the day the pair received the sword was soon and that his death was approaching.

* * *

When Lucina was nine and Morgan was seven, Chrom finally passed away. It had been a peaceful passing. He was asleep at the time. An hour before his death, their neighbour, Olivia, came to visit him and check he was comfortable. She stayed with him until he fell asleep and later until he'd passed away. Having already lost her parents, her husband only a moth prior, and a large number of friends, Olivia was no stranger to pain and sadness. Still, it did not stop the tears falling as broke the news to Lucina and Morgan.

Various attempts were made to contact Robin. None succeeded. She hadn't rung her family in about three months, meaning they had nowhere recent to go on. Olivia and Libra managed to contact what they called 'Robin's old haunts' but were unable to pinpoint a location. In the end, she was not present for her husband's funeral.

The funeral was slightly larger than Lucina and Morgan had expected. A number of people came to pay their respects, many of whom they had not met before. Several of them were only able to stay for the actual funeral itself before being forced to leave in a hurry.

Their aunt Lissa was able to come. She hadn't been able to stay the night, having to return to the border hospital that she was stationed at. Throughout the entire funeral, she was holding the children's hands and desperately trying not to cry. At the end, she placed a photo of her, Chrom, and their sister Emmeryn on the grave. She barely said a word during the whole affair, coming to terms once more with the death of a sibling.

* * *

It wasn't raining. If there was a god up there, it decided that for once there was no need for rain at a funeral. Instead, the sky was clear save a few lonely clouds.

Most of the funeral party had gone home. A few were heading to Miss Olivia's house for some food and drinks. She'd told them that they could stay by the grave for a while but they had to go back before it got dark. They'd thanked her before she left.

Morgan had buried his head in Lucina's chest. The sobs had stopped; he was too tired to cry by this point. They stared at the grave that held their father. Various flowers and photographs were placed gently across it, including two sealed envelopes that the strange Feroxi couple who were present at the funeral had left behind. Miss Olivia, from Regna Ferox herself, explained that Feroxi tradition was to leave a farewell letter behind at a grave. Blue ink on the envelopes glinted slightly in the sun, as did the metal lettering on the grave.

 _"Chrom Falchion.  
Father, brother, husband.  
May your spirit forever hold strong."_

"We'll bring him back," Lucina whispered.

"Huh?" Morgan murmured, lifting his head slightly.

"We'll bring him back," Lucina repeated. "Human transmutation. We know loads about alchemy. We'll just need to work really hard at it, that's all."

"But it's taboo!" Morgan argued.

Human transmutation. The ultimate alchemical taboo. Raising the dead, as any good novel would tell you, never bodes well. The act of human transmutation involved transmuting a human body with the intention of placing a human soul within it. Of course, there was one flaw. The fundamental law of alchemy was that to obtain something, something of equal value must be given. That is the law of equivalent exchange. But what could ever equal the value of a human soul?

"But don't you see? We need to bring him back! He's all we have left. Mom –Robin- is useless. We need Dad," Lucina said.

"Do you think we can do it?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah. We'll do it," Lucina replied.

They stayed at the grave for about another hour, before Olivia sent her son Inigo to come and get them.

* * *

They still lived in their own house. Both Robin and Chrom were blessed and cursed with a ridiculous amount of stubbornness. This trait was passed down to both of their children and they wanted to remain in the house. So that they wouldn't starve (as they were still not proficient enough cooks), Lucina and Morgan would go to Olivia Riviera's home for meals.

Olivia had been a constant aunt-like figure in their lives. She and her late husband, Libra, had been old friends of their parents, their son Inigo a constant playmate. Another constant playmate had been Kjelle Perseus, a young girl in Olivia's care. Her parents, Sully and Kellam, had left to fight in the Manakete war a month after Chrom's death, due to a military past and the need for conscripted soldiers. They died not too long after.

After Chrom's death, the four children would stay together in a close group, having all lost parents. Lucina and Morgan did not, however, tell their friends about their plan to resurrect their father.

The years slowly began to pass by. Kjelle began to study automail, something her parents had become involved in before they went to war. Their old workshop, close by to Olivia's home, was her favourite place to go. She'd study diligently. For a brief tenure when she was twelve, she went away to study under an engineer near the capital. She returned shortly before she turned thirteen, gleefully telling her friends and foster mother about how her mentor declared her to be 'an automail engineer prodigy' and that she'd already built several arms and legs that were now in use.

Inigo studied various forms of combat, as well as the 'art' of flirting. Neither Lucina nor Kjelle were impressed and Morgan had punched him in the nose when he first attempted flirting with Lucina. He often felt slightly left out when his friends would obsess over their alchemy or automail. To get past that, he worked even harder at his combat but also his musical studies, inheriting his mother's passion for music and dance.

Lucina and Morgan continued to work as hard at their alchemy as they could. About a year after Chrom's death, they spent eight months being trained by a travelling alchemist. When they returned home, they poured all their efforts into securing the ingredients needed for their transmutation and ironing out any flaws in their theories.

Three months after Lucina turned twelve, they were ready.

* * *

"Water, 35 litres." "Check." "Carbon, 20 kilograms." "Check." "Ammonia, four litres." "Check." "Lime, 1.5 kilograms." "Check." "Phosphorous, 800 grams." "Check." "Salt, 250 grams. "Check." "Saltpetre, 100 grams." "Check." "Sulphur, 80 grams." "Check." "Fluorine, 7.5 grams." "Check." "Iron, five grams." "Check." "Silicon, 3 grams." "Check." "The other fifteen trace elements…" "Way ahead of you Lucina."

One by one, Lucina listed off the elements. Morgan checked each one off as he added it to the mixing bowl in the centre of the basement. A large chalk circle had been drawn around it.

The basement was cold and dimly lit. Their mother's old alchemy textbooks were piled up against the walls. A suit of blue and gold armour stood tall in the corner. Chrom had told them that it was another family heirloom, just with not as much of a significant story as Falchion.

Carefully, making sure not to rub any of the chalk with her feet, Lucina walked towards the centre of the circle where Morgan was standing. She pulled out a penknife from her pocket.

"We just need some blood. Hopefully that will be enough to get the right soul," she said.

"And then we're all set?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah. All set," Lucina nodded.

She flicked out a small double sided blade. A quick cut was made across her left index finger before she handed the knife to Morgan. Using the clean side, he made an incision in his own finger. Both of them allowed a few drops of blood to drop into the bowl.

"Ready Morgan? We're gonna see Dad again," Lucina said.

"I can't wait!" Morgan cheered.

Stepping over the chalk lines, they made their way to the edge of the circle. They knelt down and placed their hands on the carefully drawn lines. The siblings turned and looked at each other, grinning.

 _"Sorry to have kept you waiting Dad,"_ Lucina thought to herself.

"On three, okay? One. Two," she counted. "Three."

They focussed themselves. Blue lightning filled the room and the transmutation began.

* * *

"Sir? This alchemist, do you know her?" Lieutenant Colonel Laurent Marron asked.

"Let me check this file again."

The Lt. Col. handed the file to Colonel Frederick Kalt. His superior flicked through it before handing it back.

"Lucina Falchion. I know her very well. Enough to tell you that all of the information in this file about her save her name, place of residence, and alchemical abilities is incorrect," Frederick said. "For starters, she's not in her thirties. She's twelve."

"Only twelve?" Laurent asked.

He stared at the file in his hands in complete and utter disbelief. He, at age 22, was the current youngest State Alchemist. He'd been in the military for three years, one of which was served fighting in the Manakete war. Since then, he'd had a single promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The file they were in the process of discussing was one of an alchemist that the military had scouted. Normally three officers, one of which was a State Alchemist, were sent to them to try and convince them to join the State Alchemist program. As a State Alchemist, they would hold a rank equivalent to that of a Major. Should they choose to serve actively in the military, they would take said rank with the chance of possible promotion in the future. State Alchemists were paid fairly well, with large amounts of money given to them for research. If they chose not to serve actively in the military, they were left to their research unless a national emergency took place. If one took place, they could be called up for military duty.

Not many took the position of State Alchemist. Standards were high for starters. Not many wanted to also have the military obligation that came with it. Border skirmishes with Plegia and Regna Ferox were not rare. Also factoring in was the recent Manakete war, having ended only two years ago. State Alchemists were ordered in to fight, turning the war into a massacre instead. Once the war was over, many gave up their State certification. Some stopped practising alchemy altogether. The general public began to view them with suspicion, hate, and fear. The 'Dogs of the Military'.

"There isn't a minimum age for joining the military or State Alchemist program. Many people use Regna Ferox's sixteen as a guideline however, although instances of younger persons joining the normal military are not unheard of. But a girl of only twelve years joining the State Alchemist program is unbelievable," Laurent said.

"They said the same thing about you becoming a State Alchemist at nineteen," Frederick pointed out.

"This is entirely different, sir. This girl isn't even a teenager yet. Is she really good enough for the military?" Laurent asked. "And what of her name? She shares a surname with the former Exalt. Are they related? Falchion isn't a common surname."

"Distantly," Frederick replied. "They're… distant relations. And if this girl is as half as good as her mother, then the military would gain an incredible alchemist. Get Second Lieutenant Peregrine. We're leaving Ylisstol for Southtown tomorrow morning."

* * *

Blue lightning illuminated the room. Crazed shadows danced across the walls, over the books, in and around of the armour. Lucina and Morgan stayed as still as they could at the edge of their transmutation circle. An expression that seemed to be mostly comprised of eagerness, focus, and glee was plastered to both of their faces.

A pulsing light seemed to be emitted from the mixing bowl in the centre of the room. It glowed blue. That seemed to be a good sign. The siblings continued on with the transmutation, willing the ingredients to become their father. They were so close; he would be with them again.

It was going so well.

And then it wasn't. The blue lightning of the transmutation suddenly changed into an ominous red.

"Lucina? What's going on? Should it be red?" Morgan asked, voice wavering with uncertainty.

"I don't know. Just keep going," Lucina replied.

A large eye opened up underneath the mixing bowl, spreading out so that the corners touched the edge of the transmutation circle. The lightning increased. Deformed hands rose up from the ground. They were small and translucent, with a black tint to them. Lucina couldn't even begin to count how many there were.

"LUCINA!" Morgan screamed.

"Just… just stay calm! It'll be fine!" she yelled.

The shadow hands danced upwards, performing a crazed routine similar to the shadows on the walls. All of a sudden they began reaching for her and Morgan.

"LUCI! HELP ME!" Morgan screeched.

"It's rebounding! Hold on, I'll fix it! I just need to… need to…"

In her panic Lucina couldn't finish her sentence. She tried to move her arms and disrupt the circle. They were frozen into place. An intense pain gripped her body as the shadow hands started to grab at her. Besides her, Morgan began to scream.

"I can't move Luci! IT HURTS!" he screamed.

It felt like every atom of her body was being pulled apart. Whatever invisible force that was holding her frozen vanished and she tried to reach for Morgan. Lucina vaguely heard her own voice screaming in pain. As she turned to her brother, a horrific sight greeted her. The hands were pulling away at his body, seemingly peeling it away.

"MORGAN!" she screamed. "MORGAN! GRAB MY HAND! JUST GRAB MY HAND!"

Morgan tried to lift one of his hands up and reach for his sister. Instead, they both watched in horror as his hand disappeared, pulled apart by the shadows. As his body unravelled, Lucina tried to crawl towards her little brother. She tried to make it stop. Was this the price of human transmutation? Did it require the death of the alchemist or one of the alchemists performing it? Was this equivalent exchange?

"AAAAAAAGGGHHHH!"

"MORGAN! NO!"

His entire body had unravelled, slipping away into darkness. Lucina felt an intense pain in her leg before the world faded away into black.

* * *

Everything around Lucina was white. It was a stark contrast to the dark basement, or the red lightning of the rebounding transmutation. She didn't know where she was.

"Where… Morgan? Morgan? Where are you?!" she yelled.

She turned around in a frenzied panic. Her little brother was nowhere to be found. Where was he? All she could see was endless white space that stretched out. But as she turned, something interrupted the white space. A pair of impossibly tall stone doors. They floated off the ground and towered menacingly over her. Carved in to the stone were alchemical symbols.

 **"Hello young alchemist."**

Lucina whipped around once more to find the source of the voice. She was confronted by something she could only begin to comprehend. It was a snow-white humanoid figure surrounded by a fuzzy black outline. The figure was crouching down. At the same time Lucina felt like she was seeing more than just a white humanoid but her mind couldn't process it.

"Where's Morgan?!" she demanded.

 **"That's funny. Most people usually say 'Who are you? Where am I? What's this thing behind me?' It's refreshing to hear something else for once."**

"I want to know where my little brother is! Tell me _now_!" Lucina yelled.

Perhaps she should have been afraid. Deep down she probably was but right now her major concern was Morgan. She was supposed to protect him.

 **"Unfortunately that doesn't concern you right now."**

" _Where's Morgan?!"_ Lucina repeated.

 **"For somebody intelligent enough to attempt human transmutation, you certainly don't have much common sense. I'm not going to tell you. It would be futile to continue asking."**

Lucina opened her mouth to start demanding for her brother again but closed it, realising that the figure wouldn't tell her anything. She glared at it.

"What are you?" she eventually asked.

 **"Finally! You asked! I am known by many names. I am the World. I am the Universe. I am God. I am Truth. Some called me Ashunera. Others called me Yudu. A few even knew me as Naga. I am all. I am one. I am you."**

The doors behind Lucina flew open. It felt like a million eyes were staring down at her, but truth be told there was only one. As she turned, she saw the large eye from earlier, the one that had opened up underneath the mixing bowl. From within the doors the shadow hands reached for her once more. She screamed and started running towards Truth.

"No! Stop it! Stop this!" she begged.

The hands wrapped around her body and dragged her towards the doors.

 **"But isn't this what you wanted? You dared to knock on the door. The door is now open."**

A mouth formed on Truth's body, contorting into a demonic gleeful grin. Lucina screamed and try to pull herself out from the grip of the hands. They pulled her closer and closer to the doors. She sent one last pleading look to Truth, who was starting to stand up. It just continued to grin at her. The hands dragged her past the doors and they slammed shut.

The following experience was the most painful thing Lucina had ever experienced.

It felt like all the information in the universe was being poured into her head all at once. A constant stream of images flashed through her mind. It hurt so much. She wanted it to stop. Lucina was vaguely aware of a falling sensation as her mind was overloaded.

 _"Make it stop. JUST MAKE IT STOP!"_

She forced her eyes open to see another white figure in front of her. Like Truth it had a fuzzy black outline but unlike Truth had a more distinct shape. It was a familiar shape.

"Dad! Dad, help me!" Lucina begged.

The figure reached out a hand towards her. She struggled to take it. She was still falling, still being overloaded with information.

"Please…"

 **"Did you enjoy that, young alchemist?"**

She was back in the white space again. Truth was stood in front of her. Lucina stood still for a second, trying to catch her breath. She turned and placed a hand on the stone doors behind her. They were now closed.

"I saw _everything_ ," she said slowly. "It's possible. It's hard, but human transmutation is possible. I swear I saw how it could be done. We _can_ bring Dad back!"

 **"You truly think so?"**

Lucina turned around to face Truth once more, eyes alight with eagerness.

"Please! Let me see it again! I can use it so that Morgan and I can bring back Dad! You have to let me see it! Please!" she begged.

 **"I'm afraid I can't. You've already seen what you can for the toll you've paid."**

"Toll...?"

Truth gave her another demon's grin. Lucina felt a splitting pain in her left leg. She looked down, only to see that it was missing, cut off slightly above the knee. This was the toll Truth had mentioned. Panicking, she glanced up at it again. It was still grinning but something had changed. In the place where its plain white left leg had been was now a flesh leg. _Her_ leg.

"Wait! No! Give it back! That's mine!" she yelled.

She was given no response. Truth merely continued grinning before waving its arm. Lucina was once more vaguely aware of a falling sensation as the white world around her was swallowed up by darkness. If she screamed, she could not hear it.

* * *

The falling stopped and she was aware of being on a hard, cold surface. Opening her eyes she saw the transmutation circle.

"Dad?" she whispered.

Instead of seeing her father's smiling face, she saw the most horrific sight. The ingredients had combined into a body but it didn't even look _human_. The skin was a mottled grey colour with the bones pushing against it. Its arms and legs were bent in awkward angles that would have been impossible for a normal human to hold. Damp hair hung around its pained face, the features having sunk into the skull.

This wasn't her father. They'd failed.

"No... NO! Morgan! Where are you?!" she screamed.

The failed transmutation winced slightly and tried to extend a deformed hand towards her. Failing to reach at her, the arm fell limp and it gave a shuddering breath.

The pain in what remained of her left leg was unbearable. Lucina could feel blood pouring out of it. She screeched as tried to move slightly. She gritted her teeth and shook her hand; she had to find Morgan.

A pile of bloody clothes lay next to her. Still struggling through the pain, Lucina looked around for her brother. His body was gone, but what about his soul? Alchemy taught that the soul and body could be alchemically separated, it was just very difficult. What if Morgan had also seen the Truth, but paid his entire body instead of just a limb? His soul could still be nearby. She'd read how to transmute souls to objects; they just needed a container.

Lucina scanned the room for an appropriate container. It only took her a few seconds before she found one: the suit of armour. It was a suit of blue and gold armour that had belonged to their father. Chrom never told them why he had it but it had been in the basement with their mother's alchemy research ever since they were little. On a few occasions, Chrom had worn the armour to events in the town.

"I'm not gonna lose you," she muttered. "I promise."

Using her arms and remaining leg, Lucina managed to drag herself over the bloodied clothes and to the suit of armour. With all the strength she had, she pulled at the legs of the armour, knocking it over. She took a deep breath. Tears streamed down her face.

"Take my arm, take my legs, take anything you want! _Just give him back!_ " she yelled.

Her fingers were coated in blood from Morgan's clothes and some that had spilt from her own leg. Shaking from pain, she lifted a hand up towards the fallen armour. The helmet had rolled across to the other side of the room, giving her clear access to the neck. She drew upon the memories of reading over their mother's old alchemy texts. To transmute a soul, one needed a blood seal. If the blood belonged to the same person whose soul was being transmuted or a relative, it would hold better. Lucina wasn't sure exactly whose blood coated her finger but it would do.

"He's my little brother! He's all I have left! Just give him back!" she begged.

The seal drawn, she clapped her hands together to begin the transmutation. Blue light swallowed the room once more.

* * *

 **Welcome to Equivalence.**


	3. Product

**So my house is probably going to flood. Better upload this now then.**

 **(Morgan's armour is like a helmeted version of Chrom's Paladin armour)**

* * *

 **Chapter two – Product**

The sun had started to set. Olivia had always loved sunsets. She loved how the sky became multi-coloured, how it became a piece of the most extravagant cloth. There were many things about Ylisse that were different to her homeland of Regna Ferox, but no matter where she went, sunsets were always beautiful.

She sat on the balcony of her home, a book in her hands. It was a book about the lost island of Avalon that had been destroyed centuries ago. The historical accuracy was debateable since nobody knew exactly how the island's civilization was destroyed, but it's tale of the court and the alchemical scandal that led to the nation's demise was enrapturing. Olivia lost herself in the words of the writer.

A faint piano melody reached her ears. Inigo was practicing again. He could spend hours at the piano, playing a medley of various songs. He'd inherited her love for music and dance. The tune he was playing was an old hymn that his father used to sing.

Even in death, Libra was still with them.

The sun continued to set. Olivia would probably have to go and get Kjelle from her parents' workshop. The girl would get caught up in her automail designs and would forget to come home to eat. Inigo would tease her, only to end up face first on the floor. Kjelle was certainly Sully's daughter.

As Olivia rose from her chair, something in the distance caught her eye. It was a shape coming over the small hill from the Falchion home. The shape glinted in the sun, meaning that whoever it was was probably wearing a large quantity of metal. Maybe it was armour. Olivia squinted to see who it was. Sure enough, they were wearing armour. Whoever it was was also carrying something. Their movements seemed awkward and clumsy.

"Hello? Do you need any help?" she yelled.

She may be shy, but if somebody needed help she'd push that all aside. Olivia leaned over the balcony railing to see if the person had heard her. The thing they were carrying became clearer; it was a person, carried bridal style.

"Is there something wrong? Is your friend okay?" she called out.

"Miss Olivia!" the armoured person yelled back.

Olivia's breath caught in her throat. There were only two people, no matter how many times she'd told them they could just call her by her name, who'd call her 'Miss' Olivia.

"We need your help!" the person yelled back.

That was all it took. She bolted back into the house, down the stairs, past Inigo, and out the door. She ran to the armoured person as fast as she could. As she got closer, the person they were carrying became clearer to her. A young girl with blue hair.

"Lucina?" Olivia asked. "What...? Who are you?"

"We need your help. She's bleeding," the armoured person replied. "Please Miss Olivia!"

That voice. It was too young to be coming out of a person tall enough for that armour. It was a child's voice, one she knew very well. The voice echoed slightly. It sounded desperate.

"Morgan?" Olivia asked. "How are you in the armour? What happened?"

"Lucina did it to save me but now's she's bleeding and I don't know what to do! Please help me!" Morgan begged.

Startled, Olivia leant forwards to see how Lucina was faring. A hand flew to her mouth as she saw what had happened. Her left leg and right arm were both gone. The stumps had been hastily bandaged up with what looked like some of Morgan's clothes. Blood was seeping through the fabric. She was unconscious but Olivia could see her chest rise and fall. A small sigh of relief left her. She was breathing at the very least.

"Mom? What's going on?" Inigo asked, standing in the doorway of the house.

It took a moment for Olivia to snap out of her shock. "Inigo, I need you to go to the workshop. Get Kjelle. Grab any medical equipment and painkillers Kjelle may have. Come here straightaway."

Startled by his mother's urgent tone, Inigo nodded before running as fast as he could in the direction of Kjelle's workshop. Olivia turned back to Morgan and Lucina.

"Take her inside and into the guest room. We need to bandage the stumps as best we can. I'm not as good at this as Libra used to be, but I can help her," she said.

"Thank you Miss Olivia!" Morgan replied.

Trying not to wake up his sister, Morgan carried her into the house and up into the guest room as Olivia had instructed. The woman in question ran to the bathroom and grabbed the emergency roll of bandages that she'd stored there.

"What happened Morgan?" she asked as she began to remove the blood-soaked clothes.

There was a pause.

"We wanted to see Dad," Morgan replied eventually.

The words hung in the air. Olivia realised what he meant. She was no alchemist but even she knew. The one taboo that bound all alchemists.

"Oh Morgan," she sighed. Her heart broke for the two.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted him back. I didn't know," he replied.

The armour he was in began to shake.

"It's okay. It's okay," Olivia murmured. "Did you...? Chrom?"

"No. It didn't work," Morgan said. "It rebounded and..."

"And it took Lucina's limbs," Olivia filled in.

There was a clanking sound as Morgan nodded his head. They stayed in silence for a little while as Olivia wrapped the bandages she had around Lucina's arm. Morgan had his arms on her leg, putting pressure on it while Olivia sorted the arm first.

"She only lost her leg. But I lost my body. So she gave up her arm to bind my soul to this armour. She was awake for a little while and she told me she was sorry," Morgan said suddenly.

Olivia didn't respond. But deep down she'd felt like she'd let down the children. She bound up the wounds as Inigo and Kjelle got back. As they stood over Lucina's bed, Olivia explained the situation to them. Morgan's amour began to shake slightly. Kjelle put a hand on him to steady him. Olivia had never seen the girl be so gentle.

As Olivia rang the doctor, they realised that Lucina and Morgan would most certainly face trial for performing human transmutation. With the doctor on the way, they had to think fast. They decided to say that Lucina had opened an old cupboard while looking for an alchemy text. Some of Chrom's old swords fell out and sliced her limbs. Morgan had called them and they carried her over. He was upstairs trying to calm down and didn't want to see the doctor. As the doctor examined Lucina, he had to hide up in the attic.

* * *

The kids hadn't answered the door. Odd. Frederick had rang three days ago to let them know he was coming and what time he (along with the other military officers he was bringing) would arrive at Southtown. They knew he was coming.

"Lucina? Morgan? Are you in?" he said, knocking at the door once more.

"Sir? I don't think they're in."

"Thank you for that comment, Lieutenant Peregrine," Frederick replied.

Severa Peregrine gave him a small smirk before flicking one of her red ponytails behind her shoulder. Behind her Laurent shook his head slightly. Frederick resumed tapping at the door again.

"This isn't like them. They normally spend all their spare time in the house," he muttered.

"Colonel, I think we should perhaps check with the locals to see if they've seen the children," Laurent suggested.

"A good idea, Lieutenant Colonel. However, I just want to see if they are in the house, but haven't heard us," Frederick replied. "It has happened before when they were in the basement."

He wrapped his hand around the handle of the door. It was probably locked but it couldn't hurt to try. Frederick pushed down. To his genuine surprise, the door opened without problem. He frowned. Lucina and Morgan were sensible children; they wouldn't just leave the door unlocked if they were home alone. Southtown was a friendly place but he personally had drilled the lesson into their heads. They were children. It wasn't safe to leave doors unlocked.

Motioning for Laurent and Severa to follow him, he stepped into the house.

"Lucina? Morgan? It's Frederick. Are you in the basement?" he called out.

"Sir? The ground," Severa said.

Frederick looked down at the floor below him. His eyes widened. Something red was trailing across the floor and towards the door. Rain must have washed away any of it that was outside. He bent down and touched it. A coppery smell was coming from it. Blood. It was scattered across the ground in drops that formed a trail.

"Kids? Kids?!" he called out again.

"The trail leads to this door sir," Laurent said, standing beside a door next to the stairs.

"That's the basement door. God, don't let them have been in some kind of alchemy accident," Frederick said.

With urgency echoed in every movement, he pushed past Laurent and went through the door. He tugged at the light switch pull as he made his way down the stairs. The lamp flickered on and light began to fill the room. It was still shadowy and dark, but there was enough light to make out a chalk circle on the ground.

The circle filled most of the room. Near part of the edge was a larger amount of dried blood. Various intricate symbols decorated the main circle. A larch scorch mark resided in the centre. A pile of bloodied clothes had been pushed to the side of the room. Books that had been knocked from their piles were scattered around.

It took Frederick a few seconds to recognise what the circle was. It was a transmutation circle. The specifics of the circle were unclear but based on the symbols he saw, the goal was evident. He just didn't want to believe it. They couldn't have done it. They knew it was taboo.

"These symbols, they're… well…" Laurent was trying to say something.

"You're the youngest State Alchemist, you better tell me," Severa said, although there was something uneasy in her voice.

"They were trying to bind together a human body. Human transmutation," Laurent finished. "Whatever they created has been removed."

Severa's hand flew up to her mouth. Alchemist she was not but even she knew of the ultimate taboo. Even she knew that it was highly dangerous and there was no record of a successful attempt. Only records of dying monsters and rebounds that demanded flesh as a price.

"We need to find them. Dammit, I should have been there for them!" Frederick yelled. "What have they done? Dammit, just dammit. They were trying to bring Chrom back. God, where are they?!"

He turned towards Severa and Laurent. His eyes were almost unreadable but they could see an intense amount of fear in them. Mixed in was desperation, sadness, and even some anger. Frederick pushed past the two of them once more, making his way upstairs. Laurent and Severa followed behind.

"Olivia. They'll have gone to Olivia," he muttered.

While Laurent and Severa looked at each other in confusion, Frederick was almost running out of the house and towards the nearby hill where the Riviera household was situated.

* * *

"Frederick? I forgot you were coming. Why don't you-"

"Not now Olivia! Where are they?!" Frederick demanded.

As soon as the door had been opened, he stepped in and stared down at Olivia. The woman seemed to shrink slightly as he snapped. Inigo and Kjelle had been coming down the stairs of the house. Kjelle took one look at the men and woman in military uniforms before bolting down the rest of the stairs and towards the sitting room. She slammed the door behind her.

Inigo came and put an arm on his mother's shoulder. He took a deep breath and glared at Frederick, some kind of newfound courage lighting up his eyes. It surprised Frederick somewhat; as far as he knew, the boy had always been as shy and nearly as timid as his mother.

"What do you want, Mister Kalt?" he said.

"Where are the Falchion siblings?" Frederick asked.

Before Inigo could even open his mouth in response, Olivia shot him a look. It wasn't a glare but it did carry the message for him to keep his mouth shut. A quick glance at the door reminded Frederick of where Kjelle had ran off to. He turned around and opened it.

"Stop, please!" Olivia pleaded.

"GO AWAY!" Kjelle screamed, standing in the doorway. "Get out of here! Leave us alone!"

"Out of my way, miss," Frederick said.

"No! Soldiers just take everything away! Get out of here, _now_!" Kjelle responded.

Sighing, Frederick pushed past her and into the room. In the centre was a girl sitting on a wheelchair. He recognised her instantly as Lucina. What horrified him was that her right arm and left leg were missing. Her head was hung low, as if ashamed.

"Lucina! Please, what have you done?" Frederick said, kneeling down in front of her.

Laurent was a little more forceful.

"You have committed the ultimate taboo! What did you think you were doing?!" he snapped.

"Lt. Col.! Be quiet!" Frederick reprimanded him.

Lucina looked up slightly at him. Her eyes were dead. There was no life in them at all. Frederick clasped her remaining hand in his own. Tears stung the edge of his eyes but he could not let them fall. Not now.

"We just wanted to see Dad smile at us again."

An echoing voice from the side of the room drew their attention. Standing next to the window was a suit of armour. The helmet was down and the eyes within it were glowing slightly. It walked towards them and stood protectively besides Lucina.

"We're sorry," the armour said. "We just..."

"Morgan? Is that you?" Frederick asked.

"It's me, Uncle Freddy," the armour- Morgan –replied. "I lost my body."

"I'm sorry Morgan," Lucina said suddenly. "It's all my fault. It's all my fault."

Her voice sounded small and broken. Morgan put a hand on her left shoulder. Although she made no comment, Severa noticed how clunky and awkward his movements were. It was as if he was unused to moving around in the armour.

"It's not. I went along with it. And you gave up your arm to get my soul into the armour. You don't have to be sorry," Morgan said. "We're sorry Uncle Freddy. We just wanted to see Dad."

"I'm sorry," Lucina echoed.

Frederick did not say another word. He just put an arm around each of the siblings. Morgan's new armoured body began to tremble slightly and Lucina began to sob into his shoulder. He kept telling them that it would be okay. He'd look after them. He'd hide it from the military.

"We're sorry."

* * *

"So after you and Dr Anders stabilised Lucina and given her a blood transfusion, what did you do?" Frederick asked, sipping on the tea that Olivia had given him.

"I went to their house. Morgan told me that they hadn't moved the thing they created. That he'd been too busy getting Lucina here. I told Kjelle to keep an eye on Lucina and I took Inigo with me," Olivia said. "We went down into the basement. We saw the circle a-and that _thing_. It wasn't human. That couldn't have been Chrom."

"What did you do with it?" Frederick pushed.

"Buried it. I couldn't just _leave_ it in the basement. We buried it behind the house. It wasn't Chrom, Frederick. They didn't bring him back. It was all _deformed_ and its skin was charred. The bones were sticking out and..." she had to stop.

Frederick put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Laurent was standing beside the door and Severa was on the other side. He'd pulled himself away from Lucina and Morgan, slipping back into 'Colonel Kalt' mode. With the utmost professionalism, he'd pulled Olivia to the side and asked her to talk to him about what had happened.

"I must admit, I'm surprised. I knew the children were advanced alchemists, but I never knew that they were capable of even attempting human transmutation. Robin would be... well she'd be impressed," Frederick said, placing the cup of tea on the table.

"She'd be sad," Olivia corrected him. "It wouldn't matter about what they attempted. They're her children. She'd be in tears seeing them like this."

"You're right. Have you heard from her?" Frederick asked.

"Last time I heard anything was a year ago. A letter signed with the name 'Reflet' saying that she was visiting old friends in the west. I don't even think she's in Ylisse at the moment," Olivia replied. "Frederick, why are you here? Why with Miriel and Cordelia's children? What did you want with the children?"

There was a slight pause before Frederick replied.

"Reports of a gifted young alchemist in the area reached some of my higher ups. I was asked to come and convince her to join the military as a State Alchemist," he said "I still believe it would be a good idea for Lucina to join."

" _No_!" Olivia exclaimed. Realising that she'd been a little forceful, she blushed and shrunk back slightly. "Alchemy did this to them. I can't let Lucina do that. Please Frederick. I understand that you want to remain in the military but I can't let Lucina join. Not after what was done in Prism during the Manakete war. Not after what happened to Libra and Sully and Kellam."

"I understand your reservations towards the military, but can't you see what a brilliant chance this could be for Lucina? She would not have to be on active duty, but she would have access to uncountable research texts and funds. She could use this to find a way to restore her arm and leg. Bring back Morgan's body. The military could allow her to flourish as both a person and an alchemist," Frederick argued.

Olivia pursed her lips slightly and lowered her gaze. She appeared deep in thought.

"It's Lucina's choice," she said quietly.

"It's Lucina's choice," Frederick repeated.

* * *

She was still sitting in the wheelchair, near completely unresponsive. Not even Morgan could fully get through to her. It was a pitiful sight. Lucina would eat the food offered to her, she'd go to sleep, allow Olivia to help her change clothes, and occasionally she'd answer questions directed at her. She'd never answer with more than a few words.

Frederick had been trying to explain to her on how the military could help them, but to no avail. None of his words seemed to get through to Lucina at all. She just shrugged at him and continued to stare off into space.

When Frederick finally admitted defeat, Laurent tried.

"You're pitiful," he'd said.

Lucina looked up at him slightly.

"You've made a mistake, a grievous error. But the past cannot be undone. You will never be able to return to those precise moments in time and erase them. That cannot be done. You can, however, change what the future holds in store for you," Laurent continued. "But if you plan on sitting here for the rest of your days, then all you will get is pity. I pity you."

"Don't need your pity," Lucina mumbled.

Behind Laurent, Frederick seemed surprised. Lucina had only really just answered direct questions until then. Severa did not look nearly as surprised.

"Colonel Kalt has explained to you the benefits of the military. You can use it for your own gain. Get your arm and leg back. Get your brother back his body. We cannot change the past but we can rectify our mistakes. Stand up and move forwards. It's all you can do," Laurent said. "Until you do that, you have my pity."

Lucina didn't reply again, but something about her changed. She sat up a little straighter. Laurent turned back towards Frederick and nodded at his superior.

"You won't pity me," Lucina suddenly said as they began to leave the room.

"Move forward then," Laurent replied.

* * *

"Lieutenant Peregrine? Why are you here?"

Severa looked up from her seat to see Kjelle standing next to her. The girl was looking at her coldly. In the doorway of the hall, Severa could just about see Inigo poking his head around to hear what was being said.

"The Colonel wants to get Miss Falchion to join the State Alchemists. He dragged me and Lt. Col. Marron along with him," she explained.

"You're here to take them away," Kjelle said. "They did human transmutation and now you're gonna take them away."

"Nope," Severa replied, popping the 'p'. "They're just kids. There's some heartless bastards in the military but we're not them. And if the Colonel and Lt. Col. tried to do so, I'd probably shoot them myself, then make it look like an accident."

As she said that, Kjelle sat down on the chair next to her. The young girl actually looked quite surprised at Severa's words. The lieutenant grinned at her.

"You're a little hung up on the military taking people away. That's not what we're here for, y'know?" she said.

"My mom and dad used to be soldiers. They left and then they got called back and they died," Kjelle replied. "And it's the military's fault."

" _My_ dad went too. He was a doctor. He also died," Inigo added, stepping out from his doorway.

"I'm sorry. Manakete war, correct?" two nods. "I may have known them. I fought in it shortly after I joined. It was hell. But we're changing. We're trying. Granz Falchion is dead."

"What about Lucina and Morgan?" Inigo asked.

"If Lucina becomes a State Alchemist, it's her own choice. If Morgan follows her, it's his choice. We're not forcing them," Severa replied. "And if they want to go, you shouldn't try and force them to stay."

Kjelle and Inigo shared a look. Severa would have guessed that they had been planning on trying to force Lucina into staying. The door of the kitchen opened and Laurent and Frederick stepped out. Severa stood up and saluted. Laurent nodded at her and she relaxed.

"Why did you become a soldier, Miss Severa?" Kjelle asked.

"That's got a complex answer," Severa replied, wondering when she became 'Miss Severa' instead of 'Lieutenant Peregrine'. "But I've got a lot of people to protect."

* * *

Severa and Laurent were checking over the small bags they'd taken with them. It was hard to believe that they'd only arrived in Southtown that morning. The sun was setting now and they needed to catch the train back to Ylisstol.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Olivia," Frederick said, shaking said woman's hand.

"It was nothing. It was actually nice to see you again, as well as Laurent and Severa. Laurent's so much like Miriel, isn't he?" she laughed.

"He is. He's even capable of her... unique... brand of alchemy. Severa's a complete mix of Cordelia and Lon'qu on the other hand," Frederick replied, letting his own laughter enter his voice. "I must say Olivia, you've changed."

"We all have. Meeting all of you helped me grow. I'm not as shy as I was before, but I still have my moments," Olivia smiled. "Please tell Laurent thank you from me."

"Whatever for?" Frederick asked.

"For waking up Lucina's fire. It's back in her eyes," Olivia said. "You should go visit the grave again, before the train arrives."

"I'll do that," Frederick promised.

He turned to leave, only for Olivia to put a hand on his arm. "Try not to blame yourself. We both know that it was better for you to remain at your posting and for me to care of the children. You haven't failed them. You're the best godfather they could have. You haven't failed Chrom or Robin."

She gave him one last hug before allowing him to go to his subordinates. She was vaguely aware of the few tears that had splashed onto her hand.

* * *

 **Next chapter - finally the last of what I call the 'build-up' chapters dealing with the human transmutation and the aftermath. Then it's time for story to kick off for real.**

 **Did you enjoy it?**


	4. Moving

**In which I already started pulling in characters from other FE games (and also one from Smash Bros) to fill in gaps.**

* * *

 **Chapter three – Moving**

A month, several phone calls, some begging, and a very persistent teenage girl resulted in the automail engineer Shulk Monado coming to Southtown.

Kjelle had been ecstatic when her old mentor had agreed to come and help her build Lucina some new limbs. Her excitement increased when Shulk had told her that he'd let her do the bulk of the design and assembly. In the week leading up to his arrival, Kjelle had practically been bouncing off the walls. Nothing excited her as much as automail did.

Lucina was glad that she'd finally be able to stand again once the leg was built. Once the arm was made, she'd be able to pick things up properly. She could regain her independence. There was only so much one could do whilst sitting in a wheelchair.

Most of the time she'd just bury herself in alchemy textbooks that Olivia fetched from the house for her. In the week leading up to Shulk's arrival she'd buried herself in a book written by a researcher known as Ruth Fell. Ms Fell had conducted research into the field of bio-medical alchemy and had presented several hypotheses on how alchemy could possibly be used to replicate limbs for those who had lost them.

(Naturally Kjelle hated the book since if anybody was able to successfully replace somebody's limbs with alchemy, it would make automail redundant.)

Unfortunately, it was currently impossible. There would also be no way to create a body from scratch for Morgan, who was still trapped in the armour.

"If there was something that could help bend the law of equivalent exchange..." Lucina muttered as she read the book. A thought suddenly struck her and she grabbed another book. "The Philosopher's Stone. The legendary item that destroyed the entire civilisation of Avalon in a single night. Said to be able to bypass the law of equivalent exchange. Its formula was sealed away by Avalon's sole survivor, the Western Philosopher, after she came to Akaenia continent. If we had something like that, we could use it to reform our bodies!"

"You think so?" Morgan asked.

"Of course!" Lucina nodded. "If only the books told us where to find one or what the formula was!"

She snapped the book shut and sighed. Everything she tried reading into just led to a dead end. At this point, she'd need a State licence in order to find materials that would actually be of any use. A State licence... she'd need her limbs back before she could do that.

"Lucina! Shulk's here!" Kjelle yelled from the balcony. "Wheel her over here Morgan!"

Lucina's eyes lit up. It was time to move.

* * *

"The stumps have healed nicely. Flesh is still tender and sore, but since it's somewhat fresh we'll have an easier time of inserting and connecting the ports," Shulk said, probing gently at the skin stump that had formed next to Lucina's right arm. "Whatever took your limbs sliced them cleanly. I'm a little surprised, actually, especially since it was an accident that those swords fell on you."

Everyone in the room froze slightly. They'd already been through this, trying to convince the town doctor that it was an accident. In the end she hadn't believed Olivia and got the truth out of them. Being a decent human being, she swore not to alert the military. Since nobody had come for Morgan and Lucina, they could only assume she'd kept her word.

"Well, Kjelle already has all the measurements we need. If you give us a day or two, I'm sure she'll have sketched out a design and began basic framework. We can begin surgery by the end of the week," Shulk announced, standing up. "It will take you three years to get through therapy but once it's over you'll be running around in no time."

"Is there any way to do it in one?" Lucina asked.

"Seriously Luci? Most grown adults can't cope with the strain when they do it in three. You seriously think that you can do it in one?" Kjelle said.

"I have to. I need to…" Lucina trailed off, aware that Shulk was still in the room.

"It is possible but you'll be in a lot of pain," he said. "I don't know what it is you need to do but if it's enough to make you want to endure some of the worst pain known to man but worse, then I guess I should help you do it. Come on Kjelle. I want to see those preliminary designs you drew up."

As the engineers left the room, Kjelle shot her friend a look that clearly said 'you're stupid but it's not like I can stop you. Idiot.' Lucina smiled back at Kjelle while Inigo stifled a laugh.

"Seriously Lucina? You're impossible!" he said.

"I've been told," Lucina replied, face straight.

It became too much. Inigo let out his laughter. Lucina joined in and the faint echoing sounds of laughter could be heard from Morgan's armour. As the children laughed, Olivia smiled and left the room in order to get drinks for everyone. The laughter continued for a good few minutes until Kjelle came in and told them to shut up because she couldn't concentrate.

* * *

 _Three months later_

"I'm sorry Morgan… it's all my fault. All my fault. I'm so sorry…"

It was hard to see her friend in such distress but Kjelle managed to grit her teeth and set to work. Shulk had gone back to his workshop near Ylisstol for a few weeks or so in order to check on customers that weren't prepared to make the trip down to Southtown. So while he was away, Kjelle would finish the nerve implants needed in Lucina's ports.

Most people would be shocked to hear that such a delicate job had been left in a fourteen year old's hands. Lucina was safe in the knowledge that Kjelle had done this several times before during her initial training, both during the small amount she got with her parents and the months with Shulk. There was no chance that Kjelle would make a mistake; she'd taken every precaution possible.

Normally this wouldn't be done until at least ten months into the process, in order to allow the nerves to recover. Yet with Lucina's insistence to get through therapy within a year, the process had been sped up as much as possible without major risks.

Kjelle thought her friend was mad.

But here she was, watching over Lucina in a surgery room as her body attempted to assimilate the new nerves. Her parents had sat in that exact room doing the exact same thing with the few clients they'd had before they were called back to war. It felt strange. The times when she'd done this before were with people that had been mostly strangers. She'd never thought that she'd have to do this for her friend.

"I'm so sorry Morgan," Lucina said.

The pain was making her somewhat delirious. She'd been apologising over and over to Morgan for the past half an hour. Kjelle had given up trying to tell her that Morgan wasn't there. That he was waiting back at Olivia's house. That she'd had to force him to stay there because she knew that Lucina was going to be in a lot of pain and that he wouldn't cope with watching it.

"Stop apologising," Kjelle said instead, still aware that Lucina wouldn't respond. "You've said it once. It's still got meaning even if you don't repeat it over and over like a broken record player."

Beyond Lucina's whimpers of pain, there was no response given.

"Stop acting all pathetic as if you couldn't be forgiven," Kjelle continued. "Morgan forgives you. Nothing else freaking matters. So get through this and go join the damn military if that's what you want. We'll wait here for you if you want us to."

Checking the clock hanging on the wall, Kjelle readied another dose of painkillers for her friend. Despite the delirious mutterings and visible pain, Lucina was actually doing better than most patients did. Still, Kjelle was ready to dash to the phone at any given moment to call Dr Anders over.

* * *

It had been a year worth of hard work and almost unbearable pain.

Lucina had her automail now. The metal arm glinted in the sunlight as she stretched it out. Kjelle had done an excellent job on it. It moved almost exactly like a normal arm. The same could be said for her leg. It wasn't perfect but they'd work until Lucina managed to get her original limbs, along with Morgan's real body back.

Happy with the new limbs, Lucina put them into practice. She ran at Morgan with the intention of striking him. He sidestepped and brought his arm down towards her. Lucina ducked down and kicked at him with her automail leg. Morgan stumbled slightly but tried kicking at her again. It was close but Lucina managed to jump out of the way in time. Not wanting to allow her a hit, Morgan swung his left arm at her. Lucina clapped her hands together. Blue transmutation lightning flared into life. Part of the metal of her right arm extended into a sword that resembled a shorter version of the Falchion. Her fist was still underneath and it wasn't separate from her arm. She used her sword-arm to block Morgan's strike. The metal limbs collided with one another with a resounding _clang_.

"Hey! You did alchemy like teacher does! There wasn't an array or anything!" Morgan exclaimed. "How did you do it sis?"

 _The knowledge of the world poured into her mind. The defining qualities of almost every substance in existence filed into the back of her mind, ready to be called upon when ready. She could understand the matter. She could deconstruct it. She could reconstruct it. All she needed was a basic circle. No symbols to hold it in place; all it required was a single circle. Formed by her own body._

"I... don't you know how?" Lucina asked.

"Nope. Not at all," Morgan said, shaking his head.

"You didn't see it?" Lucina said.

"See what?" Morgan responded.

So he hadn't seen the hell of Truth. Or maybe he had been pushed through the Gate but couldn't remember it. Lucina was about to ask him more about it when she was cut off.

"Hey alchemy nerd! You just got that automail! Don't go messing around with it, especially after I put so much hard work into it!" Kjelle yelled.

"Sorry!" Lucina called back. She clapped once more to restore the arm to normal. "But it's fine!"

Kjelle threw her arms into the air. Lucina and Morgan looked at each other before laughing.

* * *

With Kjelle and Shulk's 'all clear', Lucina had rang up Frederick and told him that she was ready to become a State Alchemist. He'd been very clear that he didn't want to force her into it and that it had to be entirely her choice. Lucina had reassured him that it was her choice.

A week later she was in Ylisstol, the capital of Ylisse. Frederick had been stationed at the western border so was unable to attend. Laurent was making sure that she was okay. Morgan had to stay behind at Olivia's home while she was in Ylisstol. It was the first time in her life that she'd been separated from him like this.

Laurent led her through the corridors of the military HQ. Every now and then he'd make a comment about some important part of the building and its history. Lucina tried to listen but she was too nervous/excited for the exam. Severa stood behind them both, rolling her eyes. Whether it was at Laurent's history comments or Lucina's jitteriness was uncertain. It was probably both.

"And this is the examination room. A number of military officials will be watching. I can't tell you which ones. You will be examined by a high ranking official and possibly another State Alchemist. Lt. Peregrine and I will be in the gallery watching," Laurent explained.

He and Severa nodded at the men standing by the door. It opened and the two entered so that they could assume their seats. Before Severa could let them close the doors she turned to Lucina.

"Kick some butt kid," she said, giving Lucina a smirk.

The doors closed and Lucina was left alone in the corridor. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She needed to do this. About five minutes passed before there was a knock on the other side of the door.

"They're ready for you now," somebody behind it said.

A soldier opened the door for Lucina and beckoned for her to go in. She took another deep breath before entering the examination room. It wasn't particularly impressive. A number of men and women in military uniforms stood around the sides while even more sat in wooden galleries. The flag of Ylisse hung on the back wall. Standing on a slightly raised platform was a single man. A man with reddish-brown hair, dark eyes, and a beard. He had a sword sheathed at his hip.

"It's not every day we see a thirteen year old girl take the State Alchemist exam. Miss Lucina Falchion. Do you know who I am?" the man asked.

"No sir," Lucina replied. Shocked gasps rippled through the room, followed by muttering. The man held up a hand and the muttering stopped.

"That's fair enough. I haven't had this position for very long. My name is Orson Renais, the Exalt of Ylisse. I was quite surprised when I heard who would be doing this exam, so I thought that I ought to take an active part in it," he explained. "It's strange. You have the same surname as my predecessor, Granz Falchion."

Lucina bristled slightly.

"It's an honour to meet you, Your Excellency," she said, bowing her head slightly.

"Well Miss Falchion. Let the exam begin," Exalt Renais said.

"Do you need something to draw a transmutation circle with?" one of the men at the side of the room asked.

"No thank you. I can manage," Lucina replied.

Another ripple of muttering went through the room. The floor was made of solid stone; you couldn't create a transmutation circle by moving your feet around like you could with sand or soil. Lucina clapped her hands together before crouching down and placing her hands on the stone. She focussed on shaping it into a sword while the muttering grew louder.

"No circle!" somebody exclaimed.

Ignoring them, Lucina continued to shape her sword until she was satisfied. She grabbed it and allowed the transmutation to stop. Remembering the few lessons she'd had with her father, she held the hilt of the sword and tried to get a good feel for it. As the room stood in shock, Lucina adopted a loose fighting stance. Most people assumed she'd just show off a few moves to demonstrate her abilities and show the durability of her transmutation.

Instead she charged towards the Exalt.

Her sword did not make contact with him and he did not move. Lucina halted her charge when she reached about half a metre away from him. Almost everyone with a gun had it pointed at her.

"Sir? I don't think this is the best way to do these examinations. It's too easy to assassinate a senior officer," she said.

"You certainly have guts!" Exalt Renais laughed. "At ease."

Everyone in the room lowered their weapons, albeit hesitantly. Lucina also lowered her sword from the Exalt's face. He looked at her with curious eyes for a minute or so. Then he put a hand on Lucina's head and ruffled her hair slightly.

"An interesting view Miss Falchion. But I'm more than capable of looking after myself," he said. A swift movement left Lucina's sword within his own hands. She blinked. "There's a lot you have to learn. Good luck with the written exam!"

He walked off into another room. Lucina realised that he still had her sword.

* * *

Three days passed by slowly. Lucina had declined any offers of a tour through Ylisstol. She just wanted to hear the results of her exam.

"...No. Still haven't heard anything yet. Lt. Col. Marron promised to let me know if he heard about the results," she said into the phone.

 _"I'm sure you passed sis! You showed them the hand-clap alchemy, right?"_ Morgan asked.

"I already told you I did! I've told you every detail about it," Lucina replied.

 _"Tell me again then,"_ Morgan requested.

"I transmuted some of the ground into a sword then charged at the Exalt. He thought it was brave and then he stole the sword. After that I did the written exam which was just loads of questions on various alchemical theories," Lucina said. "That's it."

 _"Luci!"_ Morgan exclaimed. _"You could have made it sound more exciting."_

"I already did," Lucina laughed. "I can only make the same story sound exciting so many times."

" _Yeah...huh? Oh. I'll ask. Miss Olivia wants to know when you're coming back,"_ Morgan said.

"Day after tomorrow. I'll be back at Southtown around noon," Lucina replied. "I've missed you little brother."

" _Missed you too. But I'll see you in two days and you'll be a State Alchemist then!"_ Morgan said. " _Bye sis!"_

"Bye Morgan," Lucina said.

There was a click as Morgan hung up on his end. Lucina placed the hotel phone back on its stand. She picked up the book that was at her feet and walked over towards one of the spare chairs in the lobby. A small commotion at the desk seemed to attract her attention.

"A woman named Daraen Shelley checked in but she's not gone up to her room. She just left without paying the rest of her fee," a receptionist was staying.

Lucina paused. Daraen Shelley was the name of an alchemical researcher from about a hundred years ago. Why would somebody be using that name to check in to a hotel? Lucina tried to listen in on the hotel workers and learn more about this woman using a dead person's name.

"Lucina!"

Or not. A voice startled her and made her look up. Severa marched over and grabbed her arm.

"The Lt. Col. received an envelope with your name on. We haven't opened it yet but I'm pretty sure it's good news," she said, dragging Lucina out of the hotel.

"I thought they told you in person," Lucina said.

"Nope. Generals and Exalt are too busy for that. Does it matter? We have your results!" Severa exclaimed.

She dragged the young girl through the many streets of Ylisstol and into Command. The hotel had been specifically chosen since it was only five minutes away from Command. Various men and women in military uniforms stopped and stared as Severa dragged Lucina through the building. Some even looked insulted that Severa hadn't stopped to salute them.

More non-descript corridors and doors passed by until they were finally at Laurent and Severa's temporary office. Severa opened the door for Lucina. They stepped inside, with Severa actually bothering to give a salute to Laurent. He nodded at her and she relaxed.

"Well Lucina. It seems we have your results," he said, holding up an envelope. "Here."

He handed over the envelope to an eager Lucina. It felt heavy and there was an odd bulge in it. She tore it open and pulled out the sheet of paper within. Her eyes moved from side to side as she read.

"'This document signifies that Lucina Kristell Falchion has qualified under state conditions and is, as of the 16th May 1903, an official State Alchemist. As is tradition with State Alchemists, a code name had been given to her. She is hereby known in all official military documents and missions as the Celestial Alchemist and a rank equivalent to that of a Major has been conferred upon her. To signify her position, the official silver pocket watch has been given to her. Signed: Exalt Orson Renais," she read aloud.

"Your middle name's Kristell?" Severa asked.

"Friend of Robin's," Lucina replied, grabbing the silver pocket watch from the envelope. "The Celestial Alchemist?"

"Correct. All State Alchemists have a code name. Mine is the Elemental Alchemist thanks to my speciality. Your godfather is the Lancer Alchemist because of his speciality with quick weapon transmutations," Laurent explained. "Not all of these names are to do with specialities, especially since some State Alchemists do not have one. Sometimes they are to do with personality traits. The Smiler Alchemist comes to mind. Yours is possibly due to your unusual method of transmutation and your family history. You are a Falchion after all. Your ancestors have done great things."

Lucina stared down at the silver pocket watch in her hands. She'd done it. She'd achieved the easiest one of her goals. Now she'd get access to rare research materials and funds. Her goal of getting Morgan's body back, as well as her original limbs, was getting closer.

"I like it," she said simply.

* * *

One more month was spent in Southtown. A small celebration was held to congratulate Lucina on attaining State qualification. But no matter how many times Inigo said it, his smile was always strained.

Lucina was now a dog of the military. Kjelle had separated her friend from her stereotype of the military (and talking to Severa seemed to have helped that) but it seemed as if Inigo hadn't quite let go yet. He hated looking at Lucina's pocket watch.

On 11th June 1903, Lucina and Morgan burnt their house down. Anything valuable was taken out of the house and packed into Olivia's attic. This included their mother's alchemy books, their father's swords, photos, and of course Falchion. Lucina had announced that she didn't feel worthy of such a great sword. She needed to redeem the day of the transmutation first.

The two of them stood in front of the burning house, with Olivia, Inigo, and Kjelle standing behind them. Parts of the building began to crumble and fall as the structure became unstable.

"So you're never coming back then? Is this just to make sure you'll never come back?" Inigo asked, voice uncharacteristically bitter.

"We'll come back," Lucina said. "But we don't want to come back to this place. This is where we did something terrible. So we won't come back to this house anymore. But we will come back to you."

Inigo stared into the flames once more.

"Promise?"

"We promise."

* * *

Everything was packed. They'd leave in an hour or so. Lucina was stood at her father's grave.

"Hey. I wanted to tell you that we're leaving today. I'll be travelling around Ylisse, like you did when you were younger. Morgan's coming with me. I'm going to get his body back," she said. "I swear. No matter what it takes, I'm going to get it back for him."

She pulled something out of her pocket.

"I miss you. But I know that wherever your soul is, it's looking after us," she continued. "Mo- Robin still hasn't come back. It hurts that she doesn't care. But I know that you loved her. So..."

She placed the object on the grave.

"I don't why but I kept this. She made it with me at a festival years ago. So I think it will keep you company," Lucina said. "Bye Dad. I'll see you soon."

As she walked away, a small stone robin stood on the grave.

* * *

 **In my defence, the other characters actually from Awakening that would have suited the role of Exalt I already had plans for. Hence why Orson is there.**

 **And I promise, that next chapter we actually start getting into the real story. Hope you enjoyed.**


	5. Volatile

**This chapter is where the action starts. Surnames are chosen by looking extensively at the FE wiki, then screaming and using a generator and/or my own head instead.**

* * *

 **Chapter four – Volatile**

 _27_ _th_ _September 1906, three years post-burning_

"Madame Themis, I'm afraid it isn't safe in Ylisstol. You should return home," a soldier said.

"Nonsense," Maribelle replied. "I've only been in Ylisstol for an hour. Gaius shouldn't cause too many problems while I'm away."

"But ma'am!" the soldier protested.

"Hush. I'm staying until I've concluded my business with the Exalt. Until then you can just assign me a bodyguard. A State Alchemist would be nice since the vast majority of _you_ idiots can't seem to do anything right," Maribelle said.

She pushed past the soldier, the light glinting off her crisp, white business suit. The soldier stared at her dumbfounded. Behind him his partner began to snicker. Maribelle Themis had a knack for getting exactly what she wanted when she wanted. If she wanted to stay in Ylisstol, she would. Woe betide any who dared stand in her path.

Seeing as the only other option was to stand there like a lemon, the two soldiers followed her. A number of men and women snapped to attention when they saw her. It wasn't because she was a military officer, heaven forbid, but because she was a formidable person who demanded respect.

"Maribelle? Is that you?" another woman asked.

"Sumia. Nice to see you here," she replied.

"I'm surprised. I would have thought that-!" Sumia began to say, before being cut off by tripping over her own feet.

Maribelle sighed before helping her friend get back on her feet. The other woman brushed imaginary dust off her shoulders before smiling. How she had become a Colonel in the Pegasus Legion was beyond Maribelle. She was too clumsy! Nonetheless, she hugged her old friend. It had been too long.

"I was saying: I would have thought it would be too dangerous for you!" Sumia exclaimed.

"Sumia, darling, I am plenty capable of looking after myself. I may not be an alchemist or a soldier but I can hold my own against an opponent. A petty criminal wouldn't deter me from coming here," Maribelle scoffed.

"It's not just any petty criminal. She's a former State Alchemist that went rogue and escaped from military custody. The entire city's in a semi-emergency state until they catch her," Sumia explained.

"Then catch her. I have business with the Exalt and I'm not letting a rogue alchemist stop that," Maribelle said. "Now, where exactly is my residence for the night? I've been sitting on the train from Themis for near four hours because of the maintenance on the tracks. I need my rest."

Sumia laughed slightly. Some things would never change.

* * *

"Lieutenant Colonel Laurent Marron, it's good to see you here," Exalt Renais said, extending a hand to the young soldier.

"I'm honoured that you have called upon me, Your Excellency. May I ask why you have chosen me over another, potentially more adept officer?" Laurent asked.

"I thought you may ask that. But who better to give the case to then the young and upcoming Elemental Alchemist? Given your near perfect track record, I thought you'd be best at tracing down Tharja Randai. And of course, you will have assistance," the Exalt replied.

"Who will be assisting me?"

"I'm giving you twenty men and two State Alchemists. Ricken Licht, the Hurricane Alchemist, and Lucina Falchion, the Celestial Alchemist," Exalt Renais informed him, handing over a file.

"If you're assigning Miss Falchion to me, then I can only assume that her brother will tag along as well," Laurent said, skimming through the information.

"But of course," Renais chuckled. "I doubt young Morgan would want to stay away when his sister is helping out. Both of them are alchemical prodigies; I'm sure you can put them to use."

"Thank you, sir," Laurent replied.

He saluted the Exalt before exiting the office. Still holding the file tightly, Severa to come and follow him. They walked along the corridors of Ylisstol Command.

Ylisstol Command was an impressive building located at the heart of Ylisstol, the capital of Ylisse. It housed the main communications centre for the country, an exceptionally large military barracks, a command centre for all military personnel in the city, and of course, the Exalt Mansion. Exalt Orson Renais had been the leader of Ylisse for the past seven years, taking over after the death of Exalt Granz Falchion.

The actual city of Ylisstol was currently in a semi-emergency state. This meant the general populace were informed of a criminal running around the city, but were told that the military had it under control and they should simply remain calm and report any suspicious behaviour. Staying indoors at night was advised but the city was yet to be forced into lockdown.

Laurent and Severa reached the small office that they would be using until Tharja Randai was caught. Coincidentally, it was the same one they'd used when Lucina had taken the exam. He handed the file to Severa while he went to open the window. She flicked through it.

"So what's this Tharja Randai character like anyway?" she asked.

"A former State Alchemist who was born in Plegia but moved to Ylisse when young. Passed her exam with flying colours and was dubbed the 'Volatile Alchemist' due to her speciality in explosions. Disappeared about five years ago after the Manakete war. She is married, but her husband and daughter vanished alongside her," Laurent explained. "She's recently resurfaced by conducting lone acts of terrorism on military bases."

"Explosives, huh? Shouldn't they be putting a colonel on this case?" Severa asked.

"Those were my thoughts as well, Lieutenant. However, the Exalt seems to think we can assist him, and has also placed the Hurricane Alchemist and the Celestial Alchemist under our command," Laurent said.

Severa scoffed slightly before placing the file on the desk. She pushed her ponytails behind her back before sitting down on one of the chairs in the room.

Rogue alchemists, especially ones that had a former State qualification, were a cause of worry for the military. They could cause widespread destruction by only snapping their fingers or punching the ground. An explosive based alchemist such as Tharja Randai could destroy buildings with very little effort.

"Lieutenant Colonel Laurent Marron? First Lieutenant Severa Peregrine?" somebody asked, opening the door.

"Correct. May I enquire as to whom you are?" Laurent asked, both him and Severa rising to greet their visitor.

"Colonel Sumia Fontaine of the Pegasus Legion," the older woman greeted. "I've been asked by the Exalt to collaborate with the two of you in catching-ah!"

She stumbled as she walked towards the pair. Luckily for her, she managed to catch herself before she hit the ground. Righting herself, she extended a hand to Laurent.

"Apologies. As I was saying, I'm here to work with you in catching Tharja Randai. My assistant is grabbing all our notes on the case," Sumia said.

"It's an honour to be working with you Colonel Fontaine," Laurent said, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Likewise. I've heard a tonne of amazing things about you, Mr Elemental Alchemist. You used to be the youngest person ever to achieve State qualification! My husband tells me loads about you all the time," Sumia said.

Laurent looked a little awkward. Sumia had touched upon a slightly sore point: him no longer holding the record of youngest person to achieve the title of State Alchemist. Lucina had claimed the title three years ago. Severa shot him a semi-sympathetic look. She also seemed to be holding back a few sniggers as well.

* * *

A figure enshrouded by a dark hood ran through the alley ways. They panted slightly as they ran, a sign that they'd been on the move for some time now. Reaching a certain point, they stopped abruptly. They checked whether there was anybody nearby. Nobody there. Chuckling to themself, they bent down and pulled out a piece of chalk. They began to draw a circle on the ground. As they drew, various shapes and symbols worked their way into the design.

"I can't let you do that."

"Ugh. Military," the figure said. They stood up and turned around. "And to which of the military's dogs do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"Are you Tharja Randai?" a young girl said.

She was wearing a dark blue coat that just about matched the colour of her eyes and hair. She wasn't overly tall, but not exactly short either. The teenager was glaring at the cloaked figure.

"Not exactly answering my question, are you?" the figure asked.

"Are you Tharja Randai?" the girl repeated.

"If you're that desperate to know, then yes. That's my name," Tharja replied, lowering her hood. "Now, equivalent exchange. Who are you?"

The teenager didn't reply. Instead she clapped her hands and placed them on the ground. The ground lit up with blue lightning and started to rise upwards in spikes. Tharja jumped backwards before they could come into contact with her. Her back slammed into something hard.

"Got her sis!" another voice yelled.

Tharja kicked her legs off the thing she'd slammed into. Behind her was a man in a suit of golden and blue armour. His face was covered by a large helmet. The voice that came from the armour however did not match up to his supposed size. The girl took advantage of Tharja's staring at the armour to trap her legs. She transmuted the ground once more, this time having it wrap around Tharja's legs.

"Thanks Morgan," the girl said. She stared at Tharja. "You wanted to know my name?"

"Yes, it would be considerate of you to tell me, since you've trapped my legs and all. It's the least you could do," Tharja said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"I'm Lucina Falchion, the Celestial Alchemist," Lucina replied. "And I'm here to take you into military custody."

"A little girl like you becoming a State Alchemist? This country really is going to the dogs! I have heard of you. The youngest State Alchemist in history. If the stories are true, then armour boy over there is your brother. Why would the military send a couple of children to capture a so-called 'terrorist'?" Tharja laughed.

"Hey! My sister's awesome! _And_ we caught you!" Morgan protested.

"Really? If she's as awesome as you say…" Tharja smirked.

She rubbed her hands together before extending them outwards. Lucina caught a glimpse of transmutation circles that had been tattooed on them. She and Morgan both jumped backwards as quickly as they could when a small explosion burst forth from Tharja's hands. The woman rubbed her hands together again and slammed them into the ground. Pieces of the earth flew up into the air towards Morgan and Lucina, as did another wave of fire and heat from and explosion.

"Sis!" Morgan yelled.

Lucina shielded her face with her right arm. In the process of doing so, her glove and sleeve were torn, revealing a metal arm. Tharja raised an eyebrow slightly before running forwards. She'd managed to free her legs. Laughing slightly, she ran towards the siblings. Keeping her body low to the ground, she punched Lucina in the stomach region and swept her leg under Morgan's. This toppled him to the ground.

"Then she would've trapped my arms as well!" Tharja yelled as she ran off into the alleyways.

"Luci!" Morgan exclaimed. "Are you hurt? Is your automail damaged?"

"No, I'm fine," Lucina replied, picking herself up from the ground. "She's right; I should have trapped her hands. I was careless."

"Are we going after her?" Morgan asked.

"Of course," Lucina nodded.

The pair shook themselves slightly before running off into the maze of alleyways that Tharja had disappeared into.

They failed to realise that another shadowy figure remained in the alley, one who was now redrawing Tharja's chalk circle.

* * *

Maribelle carefully placed her suitcase on the bed of the hotel room. It wasn't quite up to her standards but since the idiots at Military Administration had forgotten that the Exalt agreed to supply her with accommodation (since he'd summoned her to talk funds quite suddenly) they'd had to find something at short notice. It was a shame that both Sumia and her husband were busy, or she would have loved to stay with them. She hadn't seen little Cynthia for a while now.

She unfolded the suitcase and removed a long pink parasol. Gripping tightly to the parasol, she closed the suitcase and turned around. She noted that the windows had been opened slightly.

"May I enquire as to whom you are?" she said, seemingly to nobody.

"How did you know that I was here?"

Stepping out from the cupboard of the room, Tharja Randai nodded slightly at Maribelle.

"Maribelle Themis," she said.

"Tharja Randai," Maribelle replied. "They warned me that you may come and attack me. Are you really foolish enough to do that?"

"Only if I have to," Tharja said.

Neither spoke for a short while, instead choosing to visually assess one another. They made quite a contrasting pair. Tharja was dressed mostly in dark colours while Maribelle was dressed almost entirely in white. Finally, Tharja began to speak.

"Your family's funds have supported the military for generations. Why?" she asked.

"The military is responsible for governing and protecting Ylisse. When the country was formed, my ancestors relinquished their noble titles but instead continued to serve their home. Supplying excess funds from our business ventures seems to be a reasonable way of doing so. Don't you agree?" Maribelle replied.

"If I remember correctly, your late father supplied a large number of funds used to support the Manakete war. You made one public statement disagreeing with him but continued to fund the military with Themis money after his death two years ago. I wouldn't call you or your family a paragon of virtue," Tharja spat.

"Are you here to threaten me into no longer supporting the military with my money?" Maribelle asked.

Tharja didn't answer because they both knew what her answer was. Instead of looking afraid or angry, Maribelle simply opened up her parasol. Before Tharja could react or ask what she was doing, she pulled out a thin blade that was hidden inside the body of the parasol. She leapt forwards and attempted to strike Tharja.

The other woman ducked before she could get hit. Maribelle took another swipe at her but she dodged to the side. She kicked at Maribelle's legs, trying to topple her in the same way she did with Morgan earlier. Unfortunately for her, Maribelle managed to keep her balance and managed to graze her arm. Tharja hissed in pain as blood trickled down towards her hands.

Taking advantage of her opponent's injury, Maribelle kicked her in the arm. She lifted her arms above her head and brought the handle of the blade down in order to knock Tharja out. She rolled away before the strike could connect. Rubbing her hands together, she used a low powered explosion on the bed. It broke into pieces. Various fragments flew into all different directions, with Maribelle's suitcase being flung into the wall.

"There will be a day where you'll regret supporting the military!" Tharja yelled. She ran to the window, rubbing her hands then using a transmutation to shatter it. "They'll destroy this country!"

Another explosion stopped Maribelle from seeing how she'd escaped and where she was going. She let out an uncharacteristic swear.

"Madame Themis! I heard explosions. What was… happening…?" the guard who'd been posted outside her room ran in.

"Tharja Randai was here. She confronted me. I injured her, causing her to run. What I want to know is why you allowed her to get in here in the first place? And why didn't you come in when the bed exploded?!" Maribelle demanded.

He had no answer for that.

* * *

Tharja's heels pounded hard into the ground as she ran. The military were aware of her general location, most likely thanks to Maribelle Themis. She should have killed her when she had the chance.

"Just one more circle. One more and then it's all over," she muttered to herself.

Diving into yet another alley, Tharja pulled the chalk out of her pocket once more. She began to etch out her transmutation circle again. This was it. The last circle she needed.

"Tharja Randai, in the name of Ylisse I order you to cease your actions!"

"Not another interruption," she moaned. "If it isn't Miriel's brat. Looks like you've brought Cordelia's spawn along with you. I wonder if Sumia's daughter will come along? And maybe all the others as well? Wait, no. Sumia's child is too young. I notice you've already hooked Chrom and Robin's children into the military though. Really. I would have expected better from you Laurent."

"State Alchemist Tharja Randai, you are under arrest on charges of terrorism and treason," Laurent continued, ignoring Tharja.

"Just like that mother of yours. Never listening and just continuing on with whatever you want to say. What about you Severa? Do you fly a pegasus chimera like mommy did? Or do you take after Lon'qu and go about stabbing people?" Tharja asked.

"Leave our parents out of this Randai. You're under arrest," Severa snarled, pointing a gun at Tharja.

"If your parents were still alive, they'd be with me. They wouldn't want anything more to do with this rotten country. I wonder what they must think up there. Seeing their darling children work as dogs of the military. You should be ashamed of yourself, Elemental Alchemist," Tharja sneered.

Laurent grabbed the small rod that was hanging on his waist and ran his gloved hand along it, before snapping his fingers. A bolt of electricity danced along towards Tharja. She jumped to the side and tried to throw him off with one of her own explosions. Severa took this as a cue to start shooting, until another one of Tharja's explosions knocked the gun out her hands. She quickly unsheathed her knife.

"I'm doing Ylisse a service!" Tharja yelled.

Severa quickly stabbed at her, catching her in the leg. Tharja screamed before pulling herself away from the knife. She kicked at Severa who deflected it with her own. She attempted to stab Tharja again, only for the woman to dodge and use a low power explosion to knock her away. Another explosion and part of the nearby building separated her from Laurent and Severa.

She grabbed her chalk again and continued on her transmutation circle. Just as she finished, a blast of powerful wind came and knocked away the building debris she'd used as a barricade.

"Ricken! How good it is to see you again!" Tharja said cheerfully.

"What the hell are you doing Tharja? Terrorism? I thought better of you!" Ricken yelled.

He was wearing a military uniform with a transmutation circle sewn into the cuffs of his left sleeve. It controlled the particles of various elements in the air, allowing him to move them in powerful gusts of wind. He used one of said gusts of wind to knock Tharja back into a wall.

"You have changed from that little boy I met all those years ago. Didn't you also fight in the Manakete war? Are you sure you can trust the military?" she demanded, firing an explosion at him.

"You've changed as well Tharja! What about Noire? Do you think she'll want a terrorist as her mother?" Ricken shot back.

He continued to send strong blasts of wind at Tharja, which she countered with explosions. Laurent joined in on the alchemical duel by shooting bolts of electricity at Tharja. Not wanting to be left out, Severa started to shoot at Tharja. The woman was struggling to dodge all of the attacks being flung her way.

Deciding that now was a good time to end this, she rubbed her hands together once more before slamming them hard on the ground. The resulting shockwave flung the others into the air.

"It'll all be over soon!" she yelled.

Standing directly over the transmutation circle she drew, Tharja clapped her hands and extended them outwards. She smiled as the circle beneath her began to glow. She stepped backwards off it and a beam of light shot up into the sky. Multiple others joined it. Flinging another explosion and Laurent's team just to keep them from following her, she ran off in the direction of Ylisse command.

"Dammit! She's gotten away!" Severa yelled.

"Major Licht, do you have a communicator on you?" Laurent asked.

"I do. What do you need me to do?" Ricken asked.

"Get a message to Colonel Sumia Fontaine. Get her to deploy troops to where the beams of light are coming from and erase any transmutation circles they can see," Laurent ordered. "As soon as you've done that, do the same. Lieutenant Peregrine, with me. We need to track down Randai."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

They saw Tharja running towards Ylisstol Command. Naturally, they were going to run after her and try to stop her. They'd realised that the beams of light that were piercing the sky had been caused by the transmutation circles that she'd been drawing. Exactly what the circles were doing they were unsure of.

"Randai! What the hell are you doing?!" Lucina yelled, confronting her.

"Saving this country from the bloodthirsty fools that are running it!" Tharja yelled back.

"By killing innocent people?" Morgan asked.

Tharja stopped running and turned to glare at the siblings.

"Haven't you noticed that the only people I've killed since I started this little operation of mine were military personnel? I haven't killed one innocent. On the occasions where the military have rudely interrupted me, like you and Miriel's brat did, I haven't killed a single person. I didn't even kill Maribelle Themis, when I probably should have," she spat. "You think I'm a terrorist?"

Neither of the siblings answered. Lucina instead clapped her hands together and transmuted a blade out of her arm. She ran forwards at Tharja who began to rub her hands together. Sensing that she was about to unleash another explosion, Morgan ran forwards and lifted his sister to the side before it could connect with her.

Once Morgan had put her down, Lucina clapped her hands together and again and placed them on the ground. Once again, spikes rose out the ground. This time they knocked Tharja into the air. Lucina ran forwards and slashed at her arm. It caught her slightly, drawing more blood.

Gritting her teeth, Tharja launched another explosion before turning her back on the siblings. She continued to run towards Ylisstol Command. Not wanting to lose her again, Lucina and Morgan kept running after her. Taking a deep breath, Lucina managed to sprint ahead until she was in front of the tired criminal. At this point they were standing on King's Bridge, the famous bridge that stood an impressive 30ft above the river that ran through the city.

"Tsk. You children don't know when to give up," Tharja said.

"How are you even doing this? A transmutation on this scale…" Lucina trailed off. She suddenly straightened up as she realised something. "You have a Philosopher's Stone, don't you?"

"Now _that_ would be telling," Tharja chuckled.

She launched another, more powerful explosion towards Lucina. Morgan quickly ran and knocked his sister to the ground so that she wouldn't be hit.

"Are you okay sis?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Lucina replied. "Your helmet's come off."

Morgan lifted a hand to his neck to confirm it. Making a 'huh' sound, he slowly stood up and turned to face Tharja. Her eyes widened as she looked at him.

"Your body! You don't have a _body_!" she exclaimed.

Her eyes landed on the blood seal at the back of armour. As an alchemist, she immediately recognised it as the anchor that tied Morgan's soul to the armour. Her gaze fell upon Lucina's metal arm then back to Morgan. They widened further.

"How on… oh. Oh! You did it!" she exclaimed. "You attempted the taboo! Human transmutation! You paid your arm while your brother had to forfeit his entire body! And you call me morally wrong! Two little children who tried to bring somebody back from the dead! Who was it? Your father?"

"SHUT UP!" Lucina screamed.

She clapped her hands and used the ground once more. Instead of the spikes trick, she attempted to use the ground to seal Tharja's hands. Her target jumped up and used the moving ground to propel herself towards the siblings. Morgan grabbed his helmet from the ground and kicked her to the side.

Before any of them could make another move, several of the beams of light went out in quick succession.

"No! The circle!" Tharja yelled.

Lucina attempted to swipe at her using the arm-blade. Tharja thrust her hand down, causing pieces of the bridge to fly into the air. Several of these cut into Lucina's flesh arm before Morgan managed to stand in front of her and shield her. Lucina used her own transmutations to deflect the pieces of stone towards Tharja.

"Celestial!" Laurent yelled.

He and Severa had managed to track them down. Severa pulled out her gun and began aiming at Tharja. The older woman realised what she was doing and started to stay behind the Falchion siblings. They kept attempting to move and give Severa a clear shot but to no avail.

"I was doing this country a service!" Tharja screeched. "You think Renais is a good man for ending the Manakete war?! Not until after he'd let it drag on another three years! Not until after he ordered in State Alchemist after State Alchemist to kill everyone!"

She ran forwards and blue lightning start to encircle her tattoos, signalling that she was about to start another transmutation. Lucina clapped her hands together and grabbed Tharja's hands, attempting to cancel out the transmutation. It resulted in another explosion. Lucina was knocked backwards near Severa and Laurent. Tharja felt the brunt of the explosion. It knocked her high up and backwards, right of the edge of the bridge.

Laurent ran forwards and leant over the edge, watching as her unconscious body plummeted towards the water. She seemed almost graceful as she plunged through the surface head-first.

"Luci!" Morgan exclaimed, running over to his sister.

"She'll be fine," Severa said. "She's just unconscious. We'll get her to the military hospital. You might wanna put the helmet back on though."

"Right!" Morgan replied. He quickly fixed his helmet back into place, the eye slots glowing slightly once more.

"Lieutenant Colonel Marron!" a voice yelled from above. A pegasus descended down from the sky slowly.

"Colonel Fontaine!" Laurent replied, saluting. "Miss Falchion and her brother managed to confront Randai."

"What happened to her?" Sumia asked, getting down from her pegasus.

"She attempted a transmutation. Miss Falchion used one of her own in an attempt to negate it. There was still a resulting explosion however. Both were rendered unconscious. Luckily, Miss Falchion is largely unharmed. Randai on the other hand was knocked over the side of the bridge," Laurent explained.

"Has she swam up to the surface?" Sumia asked.

"Not to my knowledge. She was unconscious when she entered the water. It is highly likely that she has drowned," Laurent suggested. "I'll have somebody radio command at once."

Sumia nodded before peering over the edge of the bridge. The water was moving fast, thanks to heavy rainfall from the past few days. It would be unlikely that they'd find Tharja's body. It was too dark to begin searching that night and when morning came the body would have washed downstream somewhere.

They may not have captured her for interrogation as the high-ups would have liked, but it was still in a way, a mission success.

* * *

 **Fun fact, I actually wrote this chapter first, after rewatching the first episode of Brotherhood. Ultimately, I decided that we needed the set-up chapters to come first. Hope you enjoyed!**


End file.
